"Is that any way to speak to me? How utterly disrespectful... Hmm, I recall reading somewhere that immature adolescents go through a phase called 'rebellion' in their lives. Are you currently in your rebellious phase, Suzune?"
Horikita Manabu gazed thoughtfully at his sister.
"You can consider it rebellion if you wish. Now, please let go." Suzune lifted her head, meeting her brother's eyes directly.
Once, she was a little sister who would shyly lower her gaze whenever their eyes met.
Now, she was Horikita Suzune, willing to stand up for a dear friend.
Was this growth, or mere impulsiveness?
Manabu gently released his grip.
In the next instant, he shifted his body with lightning speed, evading Suzune's kick with ease.
"Good speed, but lacking power. No matter how fast your attacks are, they're just for show without substance. They leave you wide open for counterattacks. You're acting purely on emotion right now, Suzune. Your current state... is truly disappointing."
He was deliberately provoking her.
To be honest, this was the first time Manabu had ever seen Suzune truly angry.
He'd never known his little sister could look so fierce, so completely different from the timid girl she used to be around him.
Was all this change brought about by Amane?
If he had the chance, he'd really like to thank her properly.
Though he'd never be able to voice such embarrassing words of gratitude.
"Shut up! I don't need a brother like you lecturing me! After what you've done... You have no right to speak to me in that condescending tone!"
Was this anger born from feeling deceived?
Yet, this version of Suzune, daring to oppose him, was undoubtedly at her most brilliant.
However, what a pity.
As her older brother, he had to make her understand clearly. Overwhelming strength wasn't something you could overcome with mere words.
Manabu moved faster than lightning, grabbing Suzune by the collar.
With a look of sheer surprise on her face, he slammed her hard onto the concrete ground.
Thump.
Dust swirled in the air.
The gritty scent filled Manabu's nostrils.
Expressionless, he crouched down, watching as Suzune clutched her arm, curled up in pain.
"Do I have the right now? The title of 'brother' wasn't something I asked for. Just imagine how embarrassing it is to be known for having a foolish little sister! Someone who managed to drive a classmate to drop out just from a study group... and you still have the nerve to shout at me? If you know what's good for you, just withdraw. This isn't a place for you to play around."
Having said his piece, Manabu stood up and began to slowly walk away.
Three... two... one—
"Brother... You're looking down on me too much."
Just as he thought.
No matter how much her personality changed, she was still the stubborn Horikita Suzune he knew. As Manabu prepared to respond, he spotted a strand of white hair peeking from around the corner.
"Oh? Is that so? Then work hard and climb your way up. Show me what you're capable of, Suzune."
"I will! I'll make you take those words back, Brother!"
"I'll be waiting. Hmph."
Manabu snorted coldly and strode off toward the dormitory.
Leaving Suzune sitting alone on the ground, dazed.
"I'm so useless. As I am now, I don't have the power to stand up for Amane... I will—I will definitely become stronger than I am now. I will definitely reach Class A... together with Amane."
A bitter smile spread across Suzune's face.
She knew how difficult it would be.
But where there's a will, there's a way. She believed that if she started working hard from now on, that day would surely come.
The moment Manabu turned the corner, he was met, unsurprisingly, with a sharp chop to the abdomen from Amane.
The intense, sour shock of it forced even the prepared Manabu to vomit the water he'd drunk before leaving his room.
He doubled over, curling up like a shrimp.
"You threw Suzune down so brutally, and you have the nerve to call yourself her brother?" Amane stood nearby, clearly displeased.
Manabu glanced at her.
His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Is she really a girl?
The pain was so severe his throat went dry.
It felt like he'd been hit by a truck.
It took a full five minutes for Manabu to straighten up.
What struck Amane as odd was that Suzune hadn't come over all this time.
She'd originally planned to present a subdued Manabu as a trophy.
But he'd managed to recover.
"Are you really a girl?"
Who would have thought that would be the first thing Manabu said after catching his breath.
"Look how cute I am! And I have two of these! How could you possibly think I'm not a girl, President Horikita?"
Watching Amane point at her own face while boasting left Manabu utterly defeated.
Last time, he'd only sensed she was dangerous.
He never imagined she was a walking weapon of violence.
That single blow was enough for Manabu to understand the gap between them.
"Your hand chop was clean and efficient, but from what I know, no formal martial art uses such an... underhanded method of attack."
Manabu never thought he'd say something like that one day.
"Underhanded? There are many paths to victory. I just took the one with the highest chance of success. See? It worked in one hit."
Amane shrugged.
She pulled a half-eaten radish from her pocket.
Perfect, she was feeling a bit hungry.
Watching Amane munch on the radish, looking as harmless as a little bunny,
Manabu chose... If I can't win, I can at least avoid her.
But a few things had piqued his curiosity.
He needed to confirm them with Amane before heading back.
"Does Suzune know about what happened last time?"
After Manabu asked, Amane blinked.
Judging by Suzune's behavior, she should definitely know.
But...
Something felt off.
"I think she knows. But she seemed strange when she was angry. It was like she wasn't mad about that particular thing."
Seeing Amane had the same impression, Manabu's interest was instantly piqued.
This meant Suzune was furious about something else.
Something that made her willing to oppose her own brother.
And it was related to Amane.
"Did you say something to her?"
"Not really. She just asked me what the points you gave me were for."
Anyone suddenly receiving 200,000 points would naturally ask such questions.
Could it be that he and Amane were overthinking it?
"And how did you answer?" His intuition told Manabu the root of the problem lay with Amane.
"I said they were points to support me. Is there a problem?" Amane said casually.
Manabu was stunned for a moment.
His mouth opened.
Then closed.
Opened again.
But he couldn't find the words.
Weren't those the points Ryuen paid to Class B?
Didn't he, as a witness, need to review them?
Didn't Shiranami say she'd agreed to give half to Amane?
This was a trap!
No.
Amane was the one whose common sense was flawed!
'Support'... He, Horikita Manabu, had never done any such thing. Now he finally understood why Suzune was so angry.
Manabu's face remained calm.
But the corner of his mouth twitched violently.
Slander!
Someone's slandering me!!!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.